Then the bed really became a gathering place. The size increased. Originally, as a sleeping couch for one person, it was long and narrow, but it became wider and shorter to accommodate two reclining people. A low table or kang with smoking implements was placed in the center.

Arhat and opium beds were similar. The emperor of beds was the eight-stepper.

They provided a very private personal space. Some people joke that the old enclosed beds indicate that the old Chinese were not so conservative and rigid in their love-making, since the bed provided much privacy and space for inventiveness.

Affluent families would order beds made in hardwood and decorated with elaborate carving. They were so costly that they were symbols of status. One history tells of a late Qing Dynasty official who took bribes in the form of 640 eight-step beds in his home. Their value was said to exceed that of gold and jewels.

So it was simple to tell whether a person was rich: Just see where he (or she) slept.

In the 1980s-90s, collectors trudged to remote regions for antique beds. Nowadays they are out of luck. It is difficult to find an eight-step bed in the market; many were dismantled because of their size.

Antique arhat and opium beds are available, but few eight-step beds are in the market because of their size. Reproductions and modern interpretations are available in some furniture stores (Shanghai Daily will identify some boutiques in a later column). Many people like them for reading and napping, as a place to watch TV. The lines and carvings are simplified for modern tastes.